The Apprentice
by adsiderum
Summary: WARNING: CONTAINS EPISODE VII SPOILERS. "She was a fighter and the Force was strong in her. She would make a good apprentice. If only she would join him, they could rule the Universe together." AU. Eventual Reylo.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** WARNING - contains Episode VII spoilers! I repeat: CONTAINS SPOILERS!

I know that a lot of what happened in the movie vs. what I wrote in this chapter doesn't exactly match up, I was unable to remember some (okay, maybe all) of the exact lines from the movie so I left a lot of the dialogue out or made up similar lines to what I could remember. But have no fear, once the movie comes out on DVD and I can pause and restart as many times as I want, I will go back and edit. In the meantime, please be kind.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the universe of Star Wars, nor do I claim to.

* * *

 **The Apprentice**

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 **Chapter 1**

He watched her as she slept. His eyes traced over her curves, only partially obscured by filthy, sand-stained sheets that hung from her shoulders to her belt. Everything about her was beautiful: her slender neck, her perfectly bowed lips, dark brown eyelashes against her closed eyes. Eyes that were the shade of brown that seemed to reach on for eternity. Even though he had only seen them for just a few moments, they were still etched in his mind.

Asleep, she seemed so frail and innocent – almost helpless, even – but Kylo Ren knew that she was anything but. He could sense it. He could feel her power. The air was alive with it. It pricked at the corner of his senses, filling his mind with static. Filling his mind with _her_. The force was strong in this young Resistance girl – perhaps too strong – and he started to doubt if the cuffs on her arms would be enough to hold her back from escaping.

He almost laughed at himself. Who was he kidding? This girl didn't have any training in the ways of the Force and he would've bet just about anything that she hadn't yet realized her potential. When he had chased her down in the Takodana woods, all she had done to protect herself was to fire several clumsily-aimed blaster shots. She hadn't even tried to tap into the Force. Kylo Ren straightened himself up where he sat. He needed to get a grip on himself. He would never become as strong as Darth Vader if he let some small, helpless girl intimidate him, force sensitive or not.

The girl woke with a jolt and when their eyes met, hers widened.

"Where am I? Where did you take me?" she demanded.

He sensed her fear - so intense that it felt like a jab to the pit of his stomach. He knew he shouldn't, but something made him want to reach out and console her. He wished that he could reassure her that there was nothing she should be afraid of.

Without thinking, he reached up and undid the fastens on his helmet and lifted it up from his face. Dark curls sprung free from it and coal black eyes peaked out from behind his abnormally large nose, imploring the girl to find reassurance in his sudden reveal. Underneath all the metal and machinery, he was human too.

Her face softened slightly, but her breaths still came out in short, ragged gasps so Kylo Ren reached his hand out toward her.

 _What the hell am I doing? Sith Lords don't get their strength from compassion_ , he tried to remind himself, _it only makes us weak_.

Instead, he drew upon the Force and pushed his way into the girl's mind, beginning to sift through her memories. She had a little piece of information that he needed. She knew the whereabouts of the droid BB-8 - the droid that just so happened to be carrying the map that led to Luke Skywalker's location. If only he could find Skywalker, then his problems would be over.

Skywalker, the last Jedi... If Kylo Ren could defeat him, the balance in the Force would finally return to totally favor the Dark Side and the First Order would be even more unstoppable than they already were.

As he sifted through her thoughts, visions of the desert world, Jakku, and her market village passed through his mind. And then the droid. With its round, white body and orange markings, it was unmistakably the one he was searching for.

Kylo Ren slowed down his search, making sure he wouldn't overlook a single detail. He kept combing through images of the defective Stormtrooper, gunfire on Jakku, the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo.

There it was.

The map.

And then Kylo Ren was thrown out of the girl's head.

She had seen it. Kylo had been right - the girl was all he had needed to take. Somewhere in her head, she had a memory of the map to Luke Skywalker. Once he extracted it from her mind, that information would be his.

 _Skywalker_ would be his.

Only, he needed a longer look at the map. He increased his efforts and threw everything he had at the girl, but it was almost as if she had built a brick wall around her mind. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get in.

The girl was strong. Perhaps too strong.

"I know you've seen the map, give it to me," Kylo Ren growled at her.

"I will never," she spat. The girl's face contorted with pain, but her resolve still remained.

Kylo Ren narrowed his eyes and backed off, only to throw every ounce of power he had back at her. Pain pounded at the side of his head and sweat began to roll down the side of his face in tiny beads. The girl's eyes burned with pain, but they still held a fiery intensity. He knew she would not give up so easily; her resolve was far too strong. But Kylo Ren kept launching attack after attack on her. He was only chiseling at the stone wall protecting her mind, but he knew that with time, any wall could fall down.

And there it was, a crack.

The girl arched her back, straining against her bonds, and yelled out in pain. Guilt washed over Kylo Ren and his forehead wrinkled in confusion. Why did it have to be _now_ that he started to feel emotions again. After years of training, he wasn't supposed to ever _feel_ this much. Why did it have to be now? Why now, when he was so close?

It was those eyes. Those _damn_ brown eyes. And that skin. It looked soft and he wanted desperately to reach out and touch it. To run his thumb down her cheek to her chin.

He immediately shook himself from the daydream, but in his ceasefire, she had already patched up the crack that he had started to worm his way into.

But those eyes….

 _Fuck it_.

He needed to get a hold on himself. He ground his teeth together and tore himself away from her gaze before storming out of the room. The interrogation could always wait until later. He needed to clear his head. He needed to get _her_ out of his head. Her image clouded his mind and blocked his power.

 _How dare she_.

This job needed to be over quickly, before she could do any more damage. She was messing with his head and it was all her fault. Kylo Ren needed to get the map from her and then send her away - far away - as soon as possible. He slammed his fist into the corridor's wall, leaving a dent in it. He stood like that for a few minutes, breathing heavily and staring down at where his fingers met the steel. If the girl tried to mess with him again, he vowed to himself that he would crush her like a bug. She was nothing to him and he would treat her as such. If she dared to defy him again, he would make her writhe in agony until she fell to his feet, begging for mercy.

He would get that map.

With his anger raging inside of him, he strode back to the girl's cell, but when he got there, something was wrong. The door had been left open and the stormtrooper guarding her was nowhere in sight. Fearing the worst, he flung himself through the doorway.

The room was empty.

There was no sign of struggle; the locks on the girl's cuffs had been released and they lay open next to where she had been kept. _How had she managed?_ No one before her had ever escaped without inside help.

But this girl wasn't just anybody. She was strong with the Force. She must have discovered her powers, Kylo Ren realized. She was somehow learning, teaching herself the ways with each passing moment.

"Find the girl," Kylo Ren commanded the stormtroopers that accompanied him. "And quickly. The longer she's out there, the more dangerous she becomes."

He took his lightsaber out and unsheathed its three glowing blades. A dull hum filled the room, but Kylo Ren didn't hear that over the thunder of his thoughts.

How could he have ever been so stupid to underestimate the girl? He roared as he lifted the lightsaber above his head and slashed it against the restraints. Sparks flew and Kylo Ren did not let up the attack. Again and again, he swiped his lightsaber, creating more and more smoldering divots. It wasn't until his arms were sore and sweat coated his neck in a thin, shimmering layer that he stopped to catch his breath.

Damn that girl and her endless brown eyes.

Damn her to the end of the Universe.

He wanted that girl like he had wanted no other. But not as a prisoner. No, she could be of a lot more value to him than that. She was a fighter and the Force was strong in her. She would make a good apprentice.

If only she would join him, they could rule the Universe together.

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 **A/N:** Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of The Apprentice! I just saw Episode VII last night and could not get this pairing out of my mind, so of course I had to write a fic about it.

Also, I've heard several fan theories about how Rey might be Luke's daughter, making Kylo and Rey cousins. What do you think of this? Will the ship sink or float? I'd love to know :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Same goes for this chapter as the first chapter. It's been hard trying to remember lines from the movies, so please forgive the inaccuracies. I promise I'll go back and edit later on :)

Happy Holidays to everyone ^.^

* * *

 **The Apprentice**

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 **Chapter II**

"What is the progress on finding the girl?" Kylo Ren said, his voice robotic through his mask.

"The prisoner?"

Kylo closed his eyes, glad that the Stormtrooper that stood in front of him in a black cape couldn't see him wince behind his mask. _The girl_. He knew that she was nothing more than a prisoner – just an object to be interrogated – why couldn't he just accept that? Most of all, he feared he was going soft for her. He wanted to take her on as his apprentice, for the good of the First Order, but a small part inside of him wondered whether he really wanted that to strengthen the regime or for his own selfish reasons.

"I regret to inform you, Sir," the Stormtrooper paused, "but we have been unable to catch sight of her. We have reason to believe that she escaped."

"You _believe_ that she escaped?" Kylo Ren shouted. "Did she escape or did she not?"

"Well, Sir…" The captain faltered. "We aren't sure. You see, with the Rebel attacks, we've been sending out our TIE Fighters… it wouldn't be difficult for the prisoner to leave in any one of them."

"You _idiots_!" Beneath his mask, Kylo Ren smoldered. "No one can escape from Starkiller Base. Double your efforts." He began to stride down the corridor but then stopped in his tracks and whirled toward the captain. "Better yet, I'll go find her myself."

This was for the good of the First Order, he reminded himself as he continued walking, his cloak billowing in his wake. He wasn't going after the girl because of her goddamn eyes, or any part of her for that matter, but because of the amount of value she could have to him. Catching her meant finding Skywalker and finally putting an end to the Jedi Order – something that not even Darth Vader had done. Just as importantly, catching her meant a new apprentice for him. He would make her see the ways of the Dark Side and the logic behind what he offered her; it was either join him or die. And Kylo Ren wished desperately for her to join him.

The Force was strong in her. She would be an incredible asset to the First Order.

"Ben!"

Kylo Ren paused. He knew that voice. It was the voice of his father. The voice of Han Solo.

"Ben!"

It was louder this time, and drawing closer to where he stood on the bridge.

"Ben!"

Kylo Ren whipped around, coming almost face to face with Han Solo. "I've waiting a long time for this, Father."

"Don't keep doing this, Ben. _Please_. Just come home," Han said. His eyes shimmered with hurt, making Kylo's stomach inexplicably drop.

And then there she was. The girl. Standing on a balcony overlooking the bridge, her eyes shining with the same intensity that his father's did. Pleading for him to take his father's hand and renounce the First Order. In his mind's eye, Kylo saw himself on his father's ship as they flew away from Starkiller Base. Sitting next to the girl. Hugging his mother as tears ran down her face. Shaking hands with Skywalker. Training with the girl. Wrapping his arms around her waist as she laughed. Her smile was dazzling and had a warmth unlike anything he had seen in a long, long time.

"I can't. I've already chosen. There's no way out of this now," Kylo said.

"There's always another way, Ben. You don't have to do this anymore."

"Yes I do. You don't understand."

"We can help you." In the silence, the echo of Han's voice filled up the entire chamber. "Take your mask off. I want to see my son."

Kylo reached up to the sides of his mask and unlatched it. With a hiss, the pressure within the helmet released. He blinked away the tears welling in his eyes before he removed the mask from his face. The last time he had seen his parents was long before he started ignoring the call from the Light Side and answered to the Dark Side of the Force. Long before he met the Supreme Leader or even heard of the upcoming regime called the First Order. He had left home when he was just a boy to train under Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. Although he had been much older than most apprentices traditionally were, Kylo had always felt as if he had missed out on some part of his childhood. Seeing his father again only resurfaced that and it took all the emotional strength he had in him to maintain his stoic façade.

Han took one step closer. Then another. And another.

Kylo watched him approach but did not back away or let his gaze falter. His father kept coming closer, taking one uncertain step after the next as if he was approaching a wild animal that he didn't want to startle. To him, Kylo thought that he probably did seem wild and untamed, ready to be coaxed back over to obey the light side.

Han stopped only a foot in front of Kylo. "Come back to the light side. Reject Snoke. You could come back with me," he said to his feet and then looked Kylo in the eyes. "We could be a real family again. Just the three of us. You, me, your mother…. What do you say?" His voice was barely more than a whisper.

Kylo's eyes flickered upwards to meet the girl's. She was wide-eyed and her gaze was fixated on the two of them. He could hear her chanting inside his head, silently begging him to leave the First Order.

To leave everything he and Snoke had built and fought for.

Kylo glanced around at the Stormtroopers that stood at the ready, prepared to shoot on his command. He had everything he had ever wanted: power, wealth, and the full strength of the force to back him up. If he decided to follow Solo, Kylo Ren knew that he would have to give all of that up. Instead of controlling the Force, he would have to obey it.

Kylo Ren wasn't one to obey.

After becoming the Supreme Leader's pupil, he experienced freedom unlike any he had ever felt. It was intoxicating and he wasn't about to lose it for anything. Not for the chance of approval from some girl he had barely met and certainly not for a family he had never even loved to begin with.

"Father, I need your help." Kylo Ren allowed his voice to crack and handed over the hilt of his lightsaber.

Han grasped its end. "I would do anything for you."

A lightsaber's hum started and when Kylo Ren looked back into Solo's eyes, he wore a smirk on his face. As the light faded from his father's eyes, he whispered into his ear. "I've won. Did you ever truly think I'd join you?" For the last time, Han reached up and stroked his son's cheek before falling limp. Kylo Ren yanked the red blade from his stomach and Solo's body toppled over the edge of the bridge and into the pit below, twisting in the air as he fell.

That _creature_ Solo always traveled with bellowed and aimed his bowcaster at Kylo. He shot and soon the air filled with crossfire as the Stormtroopers fought back. Kylo Ren's lightsaber was a red blur as he deflected shot after shot.

A searing pain coursed through his leg, causing him to yell out and drop to one leg. In the middle of his thigh, a bloody gash smoldered beneath his clothes' torn fabric. Gritting his teeth, Kylo staggered back to his feet. He was too close to let the Rebellion slip through his fingers. He was too close to let some injury slow him down now.

He broke into a run after the girl. His leg felt like fire and burned with each step he took but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind. He needed to focus now and focus only on getting the girl and that map. As soon as he drew near, the rebels fired their last shots and took off. Kylo Ren only ran faster and still continued his pursuit.

He chased them through the base and out to the surface of the planet, but they quickly disappeared behind the trees. Snow covered the ground, dampening the sound of their footsteps. Before long, Kylo Ren couldn't even hear his prey. He stumbled over the uneven ground, leaving a small trail of red where he stepped.

 _Where were they?_

He took in a deep breath, silenced his thoughts, and began to feel the world around him. Reaching out through the trees, he felt the energy that surrounded each living creature. The energy emanated from everywhere. Small life forms burrowed in the dirt and scurried among the undergrowth. The woodland was practically crawling.

And then there they were.

Shining like a beacon of light in the darkness, there was no mistaking the presence of the two Rebels. The Stormtrooper and the girl. Kylo Ren unsheathed his lightsaber and its red glow cast and unearthly light against the snow. He knew exactly where they were.

Soon that girl would be his. There was no escaping him now.

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 **A/N:** Just wanted to give a quick shout out to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited so far! All this support I've been getting from you guys is incredible and has really put a smile on my face so thank you thank you thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

**The Apprentice**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

As soon as the girl came into sight, Kylo stuck out his hand and flung her against a tree. Her body went limp and she slumped to the ground, her head lolling forward. Kylo's stomach lurched. He hadn't thrown her too hard - just enough to temporarily incapacitate her - but still, he hated that he had to do that to her. But there was simply no other way to get the map from the girl other than to take her prisoner. If he tried to extract it from her mind now, she would throw him out just like she did before. Kylo needed more than just a few moments' peek. Her mind was just too strong for him to break into. He needed extra help, Kylo now realized, and he knew how to get it. He had heard of a serum that with one drink, could leave the user unable to walk straight or talk coherently. Surely, that would be enough to weaken the girl's willpower and let him in.

Unless, of course, the girl decided to hand over the information. But the chance that would happen was one in a million - no, one in a trillion. Hell, Kylo didn't even know how he planned on getting her to be his apprentice. But nothing had ever been denied to him and he knew that once he had captured the girl, he could push at her until she broke. If he couldn't convince her to join him, he knew that eventually, he could get her to come to the Dark Side.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kylo saw a rod of blue light flash. The defected FN unit stood behind the lightsaber the girl had dropped, gripping it in both hands. He scoffed. The Stormtrooper obviously had no idea what he was doing. Without a blaster, he was useless - nothing more than a toy to play around with.

Kylo swiped his lightsaber, surprised to feel it stop mid-swing. The Stormtrooper yelled as he pushed the blue blade harder and harder against Kylo's red one. He was strong, but still no match for a Sith Lord.

Kylo pushed against his lightsaber and the man stumbled backwards, letting his guard drop. Taking advantage of his vulnerability, Kylo lunged forward. The Stormtrooper held up the lightsaber in his defense, but Kylo quickly knocked it out of his hands and sliced his thigh with the lightsaber tip. The man fell to the ground, clutching the wound.

Kylo turned back to the girl and to his surprise, she had stirred from where she had falled. Damn. He had been too soft on her. Still on her back, she crawled away from him.

In two strides, Kylo closed the distance between them, but before he reached her, she held out her hand and her lightsaber flew into it. In one fluid motion, she turned it on and sprang to her feet. If the girl really wanted a lightsaber fight, then so be it, Kylo thought. She would get her lightsaber fight.

Kylo swung his lightsaber in a series of attacks from all sides. Just as rapidly, the girl parried them. He felt her reaching out with her mind, using the energy surrounding his blade to predict his movements. Her reflexes were sharp, but now, they were even quicker. Kylo saw her talent. With training, she had the potential to become an excellent warrior - perhaps even one of legends. But still, talent wasn't enough when put up against a master of the Force.

For every step Kylo took, the girl took two steps back. With her footwork as sloppy and uncertain as it was, he doubted that it would be long before she fell.

The ground trembled underneath Kylo's feet and to the side of his vision, he saw a canyon open up. Taking deliberate steps forward, he pushed the girl towards it. They continued parrying, with the girl blocking every one of Kylo's swings.

Left, right, left…

Kylo raised his lightsaber above his head and brought it down, aiming for the front of the girl's neck. As she blocked his shot, she took a step back. Her heel hung over the side of the trench, sending a shower of pebbles into the depths below. She teetered for a moment, threatening to fall off the edge.

Not that Kylo would ever really let her fall.

But there was no way that the girl would ever guess that. Kylo saw fear flash in her eyes. He had her trapped. At any moment, her feet could slip or the terrain could come loose, sending her plummeting to her death. His lightsaber kept her from moving to her left or right and if she couldn't hold his blade back anymore, it would cut through her neck.

The girl met his eyes and Kylo's throat went dry. He had no idea what he meant to say. He had no plan for what he was about to do. Any other person would've ended the fight already, but there he still was, staring the girl down and becoming increasingly more aware of each second as time passed. He needed to act and he needed to act now.

He wracked his brain, trying to think of something - anything - he could say.

"You're good with a lightsaber, but you lack training." Kylo said the first thing that came to his mind. "You need a teacher. Someone who's strong in the Force. Someone who has studied it in detail." He paused. "I could be that teacher if you were to join me -"

"I would rather die than join you." The girl could barely get her words out as she struggled under the force of Kylo's lightsaber. When she spoke, her words were filled with venom. By now, the lightsaber blade was only inches away from her skin. Kylo doubted that she could hold out much longer.

"Do you understand what I'm offering you? I will teach you the ways of the Force. You'll have even more power than you can even imagine."

"Don't you get it? I'll never join you."

Kylo faltered. What had he even expected? For this girl to agree to betray her own friends without a second thought? To betray her friends just for the chance to learn the ways of the Force - a lesson she could always get from Skywalker himself. No, he had to offer her something more valuable than that. He had to offer her something only he could give and that she would be willing to risk her life to get. Was there even such a thing?

It only took a moment to reach into her head and sift through her thoughts before he found it; he was in and out before she even noticed. The memory screamed at him louder than all the others, almost begging to be found. The corners of his lips turned upwards. He had her now.

"But don't you want to find your parents?"

"I - I what?" the girl stammered. Kylo's lightsaber dropped another inch closer to her neck.

"If you join me, I can help you find your family."

"How did you know I was looking for them?" The girl's face softened and her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"I have a lot of power - more than you know and more than even Skywalker himself. And with this amount of power comes knowledge."

"You can't fool me. I know what you want: Skywalker's location. Even if I knew it, there'd be no way I'd ever help you. You don't want to teach me - you just want information."

"But aren't you at least curious? Isn't there some part of you that believes I'm telling the truth?"

"Yeah." The girl closed her eyes. "And I'll be able to find my parents if I join you?"

Kylo nodded and leaned in closer to the girl - intoxicatingly close. "That and more."

"Okay." The girl's voice sounded like she was trying to choke back a sob; it was small and weak. And then her eyes flew open. Those damn, dazzling brown eyes.

Kylo loosened his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber and slowly brought his blade away from her. "Okay?"

The girl nodded and this time, her voice sounded stronger as she said, "Okay. Okay, I'll join you."

Kylo turned off his lightsaber and the girl did the same. He grasped her hand, pulling her away from the ledge.

"The name's Kylo Ren," he said.

"I know. I'm Rey."

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 **A/N:** Well there it is. I finally strayed from the story line. I'd love to know what you guys think of it! And do you think Rey could become a powerful Sith?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** For this chapter, I decided to expand the point of view to switch between Kylo and Rey. I felt like this was missing something big without hearing Rey's thoughts as well. Hopefully it's not too confusing.

Enjoy and Happy New Year!

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 **The Apprentice**

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 **Chapter 4**

"Supreme Leader, I have good news." Kylo spoke to a hologram of Snoke sitting in his usual chair. At 20 feet tall, his image seemed to take up the entire space. Of course, the Supreme Leader wasn't that tall in person. In fact, Snoke stood at only six feet, but liked to broadcast his image as a larger than life figure in order to intimidate his subordinates. And it worked. Even Kylo hated standing before Snoke and purposely kept his reports short.

"Good news?" Snoke's voice echoed around the empty room, amplifying it. "What good news could there possibly be? You have failed to locate Skywalker and you lost our chance to destroy the Rebel Alliance's base."

"I know, but -" Kylo was cut off as Snoke stood up from his chair, now easily towering 30 feet above him. Kylo tilted his head even farther back to keep Snoke in his field of vision. He had seen his teacher get mad before, but not once had he gotten up from his chair during a call. Kylo took an involuntary step back, glad that he only had to face a hologram. If the Supreme Leader had been there in person, Kylo knew that he would have been able to sense the fury rolling in waves off of his energy field in addition to his scalding remarks. And that terrified him even more.

"Starkiller Base was destroyed. We lost our superweapon and our advantage in this war." Snoke's face twisted up in disgust. "You are lucky to be alive. If that ship had picked you up only a few minutes later, you would have been blown beyond recognition too I almost wish you had been."

"I won't fail you again, Master."

"So tell me: what is this _good news_ of yours that you wished to share?"

"I found a girl - another force sensitive. She's strong. And she wants to learn our ways."

Snoke slowly sat down on his chair, lounging against its back cushion. Kylo let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"Better yet, this girl was the one traveling with the droid that had information about Skywalker's location. I believe she can lead us to him."

"Good." Snoke began to laugh and a lopsided smirk crept across his face. "Very good. We might still have the upperhand after all. Bring this girl to me."

Kylo bowed his head slightly. "As you wish."

The hologram flickered off and once again, Kylo Ren stood alone in the middle of the large, empty room.

* * *

The black robe didn't suit Rey. She tugged at the fabric and smoothed out imaginary wrinkles, but it still didn't feel quite right - _she_ didn't feel right. Her stomach twisted into knots. None of this sat well with her. Yes, she would be able to find her parents, but at what cost? How many people would die at her hands before their reunion?

 _If_ there ever was a reunion.

She had only joined Kylo on the chance that he was telling the truth. A _chance_. Was she crazy? She had joined forces with her enemy only because he had told her to trust him. And knowing the Sith Lords, they weren't to be trusted - at all. She had a bad, bad feeling about this.

Kylo's motives didn't make sense. What was in it for him? Information? But if that was all he wanted from her, why did he take her on as his apprentice? Did he think that he could gain her trust and then she would answer his questions? There were far easier ways for him to get what he wanted from her. He could always torture her or probe her mind. Either way, the joke was on him. All she knew about the Rebellion was where their last base was and that information was hardly a secret anymore. If Kylo was searching for Skywalker, he would have to interrogate somebody else. The map that BB-8 carried didn't mean anything. She was just as clueless as anyone.

In the meantime, she had been given a chance to learn the ways of the Force and she was sure as hell going to take it. And that was all it would be, Rey swore to herself. She would learn as much as she could and focus on gaining strength. Then once she found her parents, she could leave before she had to kill anyone. Even if she hadn't found her parents, she would leave before she had to kill.

Even though she had joined the dark side, Rey wasn't an evil person.

She knew that as soon as she left, she would have to keep running as long as the First Order was still in power. She couldn't take her parents back to Jakku - it was too predictable of a place to go. She would be tracked down within the hour. Finding refuge with the Rebellion was a possibility, but she would run to the outskirts of the galaxy, or further, if she had to. As long as she had her parents and was free from the First Order, she would go anywhere.

Rey scowled at her reflection in the mirror. This wasn't her. The girl that stared back at her in the black robes wasn't who she was supposed to be. She had become the sole thing she had hated the most in this galaxy. Rey clenched her jaw, trying to calm the anger that seethed just below her surface.

 _Weak_. That's all she was. What she had done wasn't brave; she had given in too easily to temptations; Rey _loathed_ herself for that.

A wind blew her hair away from her face and circled around the room, picking up light objects and knocking others over. They swirled in the air behind her, but she did not notice. Instead, she focused on the two words that ricocheted around in her mind: weak, selfish, weak, selfish…

"Stop!" Rey closed her eyes and pressed the palms of her hands against either side of her head. The airborne pillows, hairbrush, and lamps clattered to the ground. She opened her eyes and glared at her reflection. If weak and selfish was what she was, then that was what she would be. "I don't care if I end up hating myself," she muttered. "I just need to find Mum and Dad."

She would get strong. For them. But, _God_ , could she ever right this wrong?"

* * *

Kylo didn't even alert the girl before he slid the door open and stepped into her bed chambers.

 _The gir_? No, she was Rey. Only hours after learning her name, he was still unused to the way it sounded. He still couldn't believe that it had really been only hours since she had agreed to be taken on as his apprentice and only hours since the complete destruction of Starkiller Base, as well as their narrow escape. Minutes before the last explosion, a First Order starship had picked the two of them up and flew to Coruscant, the regime's most central planet, to reconvene with the Supreme Leader. From there, they would plan on how to regain their previous power.

"Rey." The name tasted sweet on Kylo's tongue.

"Yes?" Her words held a stinging bite to them and a wall of emotion seemed to lash out and slap him. That was when he noticed the mess. Everything that had once been carefully put into place on the bed and tables now littered the floor. Drawers were pulled out and their contents poured over the edge. If not for the lack of burn marks from an explosion, he almost would have believed that a thermal detonator had gone off in the room.

 _What had happened_?

The strength of the animosity that Rey had thrown at Kylo quickly faded. Surprisingly, though, Kylo got the feeling that it hadn't been directed at him - just that he happened to get in the way of her projection.

He raised one eyebrow at Rey, although his mask covered it.

"Come with me. Your first lesson starts now."

"Oh. Okay." She paused. "Sorry about the mess. I -"

Kylo cut her off. "It's fine."

He turned around and left the room with Rey following closely behind. It was more than just 'fine'. Not only was she strong with the Force to begin with, but her power doubled with her anger. Once she learned to channel it, Kylo didn't have a single doubt that she would make a powerful Sith.

He led the way down the corridor before coming to a halt in front of a doorway similar to the one leading to Rey's bed chambers. The door slid open and he gestured for her to go in.

She stopped behind him and only peered into the room.

"Enter," Kylo said, encouraging her to move.

Hesitantly, she walked through.

 _It's okay. There's nothing in there that will hurt you. I'll be right behind you the whole time_ , he wanted to say and rest his hand against the small of her back in reassurance. And before something inside of him stopped him, he almost did. _No_. Now was not the time for that. As of now, that thought could only be a wish.

The room they entered looked like a lounge. Several clusters of couches and armchairs were scattered around on the gray tiled floor. Toward the back of the room, a circular window was cut out from the wall, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Red carpet covered the floor at the base of the window and it was raised almost a foot above the rest of the room. A solitary armchair sat on the platform facing the window.

"There's somebody you must meet," Kylo said.

"Who?"

Kylo didn't reply.

A figure stood up from the armchair, his face concealed in shadows. He walked toward the two and once he stepped off the platform, the room's lighting captured his face.

Kylo heard a sharp intake of breath from Rey. "Supreme Leader Snoke?" she whispered. She took a few steps backwards until she bumped into him. Kylo reached up and gripped her shoulder, holding her in place in front of him. Even though she appeared still, he could feel her pushing against him and he tightened his grip. He feared that she might run and knew that it would be unwise for her to appear weak in front of the Supreme Leader.

"This is the new apprentice?" Snoke circled them and looked her over.

Kylo nodded once. "She is."

Rey stopped backing up and stood stoically with her chin tilted upwards. Although her face pointed straight ahead, Kylo saw her eyes follow Snoke as he orbited around them.

"Yes… Good… The Force is strong in this one," Snoke said, "very strong. She will make a suitable pupil." He stood in front of Rey. "Will you pledge yourself to the First Order and the Knights of Ren?"

Her eyes fell to the floor and she stayed silent.

"Answer me! Do you pledge yourself?"

"Yes. I will." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Good." Snoke's voice was a low grumble - almost a purr - and Kylo felt Rey flinch at its sound. "From here on, you shall be known as Zrikca Ren."

Rey kept her eyes to the ground and didn't speak until Kylo squeezed her shoulder.

"Thank you, Supreme Leader."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Hey guys! Just so you know, I have changed Rey's new name from Darth Zrikca to Zrikca Ren. As Stardestroyer5 informed me, Rey is now part of the Knights of Ren, which is a different order than the previous Sith warriors, and therefore her name shouldn't have a "Darth" prefix. Note: this does NOT mean that they are married xD I have gone back to Chapter 4 and made the proper edits.

Hope y'all enjoy :)

~Amy

* * *

 **The Apprentice**

* * *

 **Chapter 5:**

Rey wanted to put as much distance between herself and the Supreme Leader as she could, so as soon as she followed Kylo out of the lounge, she took off down the corridor. It didn't matter where she was headed or whether it was the way she was supposed to go. She just needed to get away - far away.

There was something about the Supreme Leader that made her skin crawl. He seemed to ooze evil from every pore, even more so than Kylo did. While Kylo was heartless, the Supreme Leader lacked a conscious. And something told Rey that if Kylo had left her on her own, she wouldn't still be standing now.

She hated Kylo, but _despised_ Snoke.

Furthermore, back in the lounge, Rey had been trapped. If the tides had suddenly turned against her, there was no way she could have fought her way out of the room. She could handle one Sith Lord for long enough, but not two.

Footsteps approached from behind. _Kylo Ren_. Rey didn't even have to look behind her to know that it was him. Already, she had begun to recognize the pattern of his energy field. Even though she had hardly known him for more than one day, he somehow felt familiar.

"Why didn't you tell me that we were meeting Snoke?" Rey said without breaking her stride.

"It wasn't necessary."

Rey felt the hem of Kylo's cloak brush against her ankles and knew that he was on her left. She swung her head to look up at him and narrowed her eyes. "Of course it was necessary."

"What difference would it have made?"

"I would have refused to see him."

"That's what I was afraid of," Kylo grumbled.

Rey bristled at his comment. She wasn't a prisoner here. Wasn't she free to do as she wanted? Still, she knew that she would have to bite her tongue and do as she was told. The quicker she got onto Kylo's good side, the quicker he would help her find her parents and the quicker she could get out of here.

Or so she assumed.

Kylo pointed his finger to the right. "Turn at the next intersection." They turned and at the end of the corridor was a lift. In silence, they rode it to the building's top floor. It was a service area. While the rest of the building was polished and clean, here the floor and walls were nothing but concrete and a thin layer of dust coated every surface. A door slid open in front of them and wind rushed inside. They stepped through and Rey found herself standing on the building's rooftop.

"Why are we here?" she said, shouting to be heard above the wind and the air traffic that zipped by above their heads.

"I told you. To start your training."

"But why here? Why the roof?"

"Because of this."

And Kylo leapt.

"Kylo!" Before Rey could stop herself, she ran to the edge. She scanned the air below, but didn't see him. Was it possible that he had already fallen out of her view? Had he already hit the ground?

"Your concern surprises me."

Rey whirled around. Her concern surprised her too. Behind her, Kylo perched on top of a droid. It held a squeegee on one of its arms and a bucket and rag from two others. Rey supposed that it must have been washing the windows on one of the floors below.

Rey clenched her jaw. She hated him, but for that one second, she had cared. She had actually been afraid she to lose him. "I wasn't..." But there was no use denying it. Kylo had certainly heard her shout. Coupled with her ever reddening cheeks, there was no way that he hadn't seen through her lie. Rey hated that she even had to lie. He was a Sith. She shouldn't care whether he lived or died. If he really wanted to throw himself off of a building, then that was his decision.

"You're awfully compassionate for a Sith."

 _That's because I'm not a Sith_ , she wanted to spit back at him. She was better than that.

"Zrikca Ren," Kylo mused and turned on his lightsaber.

She crossed her arms. "Don't call me that." She hated that name. It reminded her too much of what she had done. "It's Rey. Just call me Rey."

Kylo leaned backwards, making the droid fly off the building so that they hovered over empty air. "Oh, so _that's_ what gets you all riled up."

For a second, Rey could have sworn that she was talking to Han Solo. The father to son resemblance in Kylo's words was striking.

"I'm not -"

"Oh, really? Because I can sense your anger. It gives you strength," he paused, "Zrikca Ren."

"Just… don't call me that."

Kylo twirled his lightsaber. "Make me, Zrikca."

Rey sensed another window washer droid only two stories below on the adjacent side of the building. She walked to the edge and peered over. The wall plunged thousands of feet beneath her and seemed to spin in her field of vision. The top of the droid barely had enough surface area for both of her feet. If she didn't stick a perfect landing, that would be it. There was zero room for error. That thought alone made Rey's stomach turn.

"Picture the jump before you make it," Kylo said. "That is, assuming your name isn't starting to grow on you." He zipped around her. "Or maybe you hesitate because you know you could never best me."

Rey knew that she shouldn't let his taunts get to her, but nevertheless, they only inflamed her anger. _What an insufferable jerk_. She couldn't believe she had ever gotten worried for his sake. He needed a good lightsaber to his neck to deflate his ego. She closed her eyes and reached out, sensing the droid's location, and imagined the path she had to take. Without another thought, she jumped off. The air rushed out of her lungs as she fell and she waved her arms around as if she was trying to stop herself.

Her feet hit something and upon impact, she felt herself tilt backwards. her eyes flew open. It was the droid. Instinctively, she bent her knees and straightened herself up. A grin started to spread across her face. She had done it. She had trusted her abilities and that had let her do remarkable things.

Rey barely had time to celebrate before the droid sensed the extra weight from his passenger and quickly dipped down in an attempt to shake her off. She bent her knees even further and rested her hand between her feet to steady herself. After a few seconds, the droid's defense code seemed to have run its course and it flew steady once again. Mimicking Kylo, she leaned to her right and sure enough, the droid followed her movements.

"I did it! I made the jump!" Rey flew over to Kylo.

"Yes. Yes you did. Quite poorly, but you did."

The grin melted from Rey's face, only to be replaced by a look of confusion. It didn't make sense. Kylo had taught her a skill and she had learned it. He told her to imagine her landing and that's what she did. She stood on the droid now, so hadn't she been successful? Although the jump hadn't been perfect, it was pretty damn close for it being her first attempt. Since when was grace an issue? She had been so certain that her teacher would have been proud and couldn't see why he didn't seem like he was.

For the first time, Rey wondered what was going on underneath Kylo's helmet. If only she could see his face like she had seen once before, maybe - just maybe - she could find out what emotions he was hiding.

"You're going to have to try a lot harder than that, Zrikca."

 _Fine_. If he wasn't going to give praise so easily, she would make him. She reached into her robe and took out her lightsaber. She turned it on and its blue blade sprang from the hilt. The entire weapon hummed with power. It flowed through her like lava down the side of a volcano. She felt more awake than she had in years.

But why did she even care?

As that thought passed through her mind, her energy seemed to fizzle. She wasn't looking for any attention from Kylo. Why did she crave it so much?

He must be manipulating her. It was the only explanation. Somehow, he was inadvertantly making her care about him - probably to keep her from running off. It was all his fault. Of course it was. It was just like a Sith to try to pull something like that. It made her mad.

Rey felt her energy crackle once again. She needed to put that boy in his place. It didn't matter whether she got his approval anymore - she just needed to see him on the ground, at her mercy.

She leaned forward and raced toward him with her lightsaber extended at the end of her arm. His red blade and her blue one met in the air. She swung from her left and then from her right. Kylo easily blocked each one of her shots. It was just like back on the surface of Starkiller Base, except that this time she wasn't just struggling to stay alive; she was launching the attacks herself.

"Your footing is all wrong."

"What?" Rey slowed her blow and her lightsaber drooped slightly. Kylo took the opportunity to swing at her. At the last moment, she managed to block it.

"Spread your feet a little wider. It will help you keep your balance," Kylo said.

Ray narrowed her eyes. "My balance is just fine."

"You're foolish. What happens when someone does this?" Kylo drew his lightsaber back and swiped at her with all his strength. Rey caught up with the blade to block it in time, but the force of the blow tipped her backwards and the droid pitched underneath her.

And then she was falling.

Terror blinded her. She couldn't think. She couldn't move. All she could focus on were the stories and stories of windows that flew past her, the building that was just beyond her reach, and the ever nearing ground. With each split second that passed, she picked up speed.

Faster and faster she fell, until she wasn't.

She stopped mid-air, laying horizontally with her legs and arms spread out wide. She was level with one of the building's windows and peered into an empty corridor. What had happened? Why wasn't she falling anymore? Then it occurred to her: Kylo. He had once used the Force to bind her entire body. If he could stop her from moving, he could certainly catch her fall. The panic slipped out of Rey's mind. Kylo had her. She was in safe hands now.

Perhaps he wasn't as heartless as she once thought.

Slowly, she began to rise, passing level after level until she was back on the roof. Sure enough, Kylo stood with his arm outstretched, controlling her movement. He set her down on the floor and Rey tried to stand up, but she shook uncontrollably and stayed where she was, laying face down. Her breath came out in short gasps and her heart still beat wildly. She was unsure whether she should thank Kylo for saving her life or be angry at him for pushing her off in the first place.

"Always keep a wide stance," Kylo said. "Have you never handled anything but a blaster your whole life? You're worse off than I thought. I had wanted to skip over the basics with you, but you leave me with no choice. We'll work on that next time." He crouched down until he was eye level with Rey. "Although, I must say that you did improve a great deal once I succeeded in angering you. Don't be afraid to let your emotions control you. Do what feels right to you." He stood back up. "I'm going to go quickly through your training. It won't be easy on you."

 _Was that a challenge_? She wasn't weak. "I can handle anything you throw at me, Kylo."

"We'll see if you can live up to that, _Zrikca_." Kylo reached down and offered Rey his hand. She took it.

As she got to her feet, she said, "Oh I will... _Ben_."

 _Ben_.

Kylo's birth name. She remembered Han calling Kylo that during their standoff on the bridge.

He shot her a withering look and strode away, the tail of his cloak flapping in his wake. Rey pursed her lips in a smug grin. She had struck a nerve. Even though Kylo had technically won the lightsaber fight, Rey felt like she was the real winner of the lesson.

* * *

"You summoned me?" Kylo stepped beside Snoke in front of the lounge's large, circular window. The sun was setting behind the cityscape that sprawled out before them, casting the entire room in an orange glow. Below, never ending lines of air traffic raced by.

"Yes." The Supreme Leader slowly turned to face Kylo. "It's about your apprentice. I don't sense much… willingness… in her. Are you sure she's loyal to the First Order?"

Snoke echoed Kylo's doubts exactly. He was sure that she would not leave as long as she believed that he would help her locate her parents. But what happened once she discovered that he was bluffing?

"She's loyal," Kylo said. He would worry about the future when the future happened.

Snoke nodded and turned back to face the window. "Good. Still, keep a close watch on her. If she starts veering away from our path, don't be afraid to use any methods necessary to bring her back. We need Zrikca and now that we have her, we can't lose her again. Don't fail me this time, Kylo."

"I understand, Supreme Leader." He bowed and left the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Apprentice**

* * *

 **Chapter 6:**

"I'm going to attack you. Defend yourself and when I say stop, I want you to freeze. Understand?" Kylo said.

Rey nodded twice and unhooked the hilt of her lightsaber from her belt. She unsheathed it and bent her knees, preparing to spring at a moment's notice.

No matter how many times they fought, Kylo didn't think that he could ever get used to the way his stomach swirled each time he saw Rey behind her lightsaber - or really, anytime he saw her, lightsaber or not. There was just something about the way the faint blue glow lit up her eyes…. The color really suited her. It was almost a shame that she would have to switch to a red blade so soon.

Kylo's lightsaber hummed to life and three red blades shot out from the hilt. He rushed at Rey, attacking with a stroke from above. She took one step towards him to balance her weight and raised her own lightsaber, meeting his in the air. _Good_. This time, her form was naturally perfect. Kylo brought his lightsaber back in towards him and swung from his right.

"Stop."

Just as he had ordered her, Rey slowed her lightsaber to a stop and teetered on her feet until she regained her balance and stood motionless.

"You're lunging."

"How could I not lunge? That's the only way I can get to your lightsaber," Rey said.

"Wait for it to come to you."

"But I-"

" _Don't lunge_. It puts you off balance. When you throw your weight around like that, your reaction time slows down."

Rey nodded. "Okay. Don't lunge. Got it."

"As a general rule, stay close to your center of mass, like this…" Kylo walked behind Rey and placed his hands on her elbows, forcing them down. "Keep your arms loose, but tuck them in more." She was so, so close to him. If only he could get his arms to move inches closer to each other, he would have her locked in his tight embrace.

He quickly drew his hands away and took a step backwards. As much as he wanted to wrap his arms around her, he knew that Rey would not stand for any of it. The girl still hated him - that much he was certain of - and he had to move slowly if he ever wanted to win her trust. She was like a frightened animal and with any sudden movement, he was afraid that she would flee.

"Ready? Let's try this again." Kylo walked back in front of Rey. She nodded and he swung his lightsaber at her again.

"Stop." Kylo dropped his lightsaber to his side. "Are you right or left-handed?"

"Right," Rey said.

"Lead with that hand. Not both. Your left hand is just there for stabilizing the hilt." Kylo lifted his weapon up and swung it slowly so that Rey could see every movement that he made. "See? The right hand leads and the left hand follows."

Rey swung a few times, mimicking what Kylo had showed her.

"Your grip is wrong. Move your right hand higher, twist it towards you, and-"

Rey shifted her hands slightly.

"No, not like that. Here," Kylo said, trailing off. Even though he warned himself against it, he stood behind her, just like he had done only minutes ago, and put his hands over hers. "Your thumb goes here, and twist your left hand a little this way, and…" Kylo's voice dropped. He spoke at almost a whisper, even though his mask filtered out most of the difference. "And your right hand moves up to here, and…"

What was he about to say? His mind ran around in circles, searching for the words that had been on the tip of his tongue only moments ago.

Kylo's gaze traveled up to meet hers - those endless brown eyes - and then to her lips. They were so close and so kissable. His mask was the only thing stopping him from leaning down and meeting his with hers.

Rey tilted her head up from her lightsaber and peered through the visor covering his eyes. "Why do you always wear that mask?" she whispered. "I've seen your face before. There's no reason for you to keep covering it up."

 _So she can't see the blush spreading across my cheeks_. Instead, Kylo mumbled out a lie: "Extra protection… for my face…"

Rey reached up and framed his face with her hands, fumbling around for the releases. "Then you don't really need it. Why don't you take it off?"

He brushed her hands off of his mask and pressed the releases. With a hiss, it depressurized and he lifted it off his face. "Happy?"

She only shrugged. "No. But better." Rey's eyes didn't waver from Kylo's. "Ben Solo," she mused, "you're really Han's son?"

Kylo bristled and stepped away from her. "Not anymore."

"What do you mean, 'not anymore'?"

"I defeated Ben Solo a long time ago," Kylo said, his voice more of a growl. He thought that he had made it clear that he didn't want to talk about his past anymore. So why did she keep bringing it up?

"I don't think so." Rey took a step towards Kylo. "I think he's still somewhere inside of you, waiting to be let out. But you keep pushing him down and locking him up."

" _Look_. Why do you care so damn much about my past? I don't want to answer any more of your stupid questions. I thought you hated me, so why are you suddenly acting like you care? Why can't you go back to hating me and just leave me the fuck alone?" Kylo clenched his fists. He desperately wanted to press his lightsaber against her neck and make her swear to never bother him about any of this ever again. The last time he had thought about all this, he had felt the call back to the Light. And last time, he had to kill his father to regain his loyalty to the Dark Side. He couldn't risk severing his allegiance again.

Rey's jaw slowly fell open before she said, "I hate Kylo Ren, not Ben Solo. I want to help Ben Solo."

Kylo's stomach sank. "You just wanted to bring me back to the Light Side. You never wanted to join the First Order at all." She had fooled him. _Damn_ , why hadn't he seen it coming? Snoke was right - his emotions clouded his thinking. He had been too set on the girl to realize her true motives in joining him.

"What else could I have possibly gained from joining you?"

"Your parents. Didn't you want to find them?"

"At first, yes. I knew that my parents weren't ever coming back for me - it was a feeling that I had had for quite some time, but I never realized it until Maz said it out wasn't until then that the truth finally hit me. But even though my parent's aren't ever coming back to Jakku, I hoped that they were still somewhere out in the galaxy.I thought that if I could find them myself, I'd be able to make them come back." Rey squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her head. "Do you want to know the reason why they aren't coming back? It's because they're _dead_."

 _Dead_. The word echoed around the room they were in. _Dead_. Just like Han Solo. Just like Kylo's own father.

"I had tried to avoid facing that possibility because I was so certain that I could find my happiness through them. Now, I know that it could never be. I was foolish to think that I could find a family I belonged in. They're gone. Forever." She opened her eyes and they shimmered, brimming with tears. "I was going to leave, but then I saw something. I saw good in you."

"Stop."

"When I fell off the building, you saved me without a second's hesitation."

"Stop. Rey…" Kylo warned.

"Ben caught me. Anyone who is truly evil would have just let me fall."

"I caught you because you were my apprentice. I couldn't let you die. You're too useful."

"Face it, Ben. You're not the Sith Lord you claim to be."

"Yes I am! I _killed_ Han Solo. I killed my own father." Kylo felt himself snap and his voice rose to a shout. She had pushed him and this time, it was almost too far.

"But you regret it!"

"I…" Kylo clenched his jaw. "I do _not_ regret it." He spaced out each word as if to give them more emphasis. "But you know what I do regret? Not killing you while I had the chance."

"What do you mean? You never lost that chance. I know you won't do it, though, because you're not a killer. Ben Solo is not a killer."

"No, I meant that I should have killed you before I got too attached. Before I fell in love with you."

As soon as those words left Ben's mouth, he regretted ever saying them. He had been trying so hard to suppress his emotions, only to fail at the worst possible moment.

"You… what?"

Before Rey could say anything more, Kylo sprinted out of the room, not even bothering to remember his helmet.

"Wait! Kylo, come back," Rey shouted after him, but he was already long gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Apprentice**

* * *

 **Chapter 7:**

Rey picked up Kylo's mask from the table in her bedroom and switched it from hand to hand as if she was examining it from all angles. She had taken it with her when Kylo had stormed out of their training session the day before - right after he told her that he had fallen in love with her. As she turned the mask around, his words came back to the front of her mind.

 _I fell in love with you_.

He couldn't really mean that, could he? They had only known each other for barely a few days and here he was, admitting that he had these strong feelings for her. Rey slammed the mask down on the table and started pacing the room. This wasn't how her life was supposed to turn out. She was supposed to wait out the rest of her life on Jakku until her parents came for her. She was supposed to live as a simple scavenger, not be between two sides in this war - and she certainly wasn't supposed to be getting this nervous, flippy feeling in her stomach every time her mind wandered back to the Supreme Leader's apprentice.

How could just a few simple words mess with her head this badly? How had she ever let this happen? She thought she hated Kylo, but something about him had changed. Now, she wasn't so sure. He had opened up to her and even though he hadn't revealed much, Rey had seen the compassion that he had buried somewhere deep inside. She could hate Kylo, but Ben…. She felt a soft spot growing for Ben. Deep down, he wasn't a Sith Lord. There was good in him - he had just forced darkness to overpower everything. Rey knew that and she desperately wanted to help him. Only, she doubted that he would let her. Now that she knew that Kylo thought he was in love with her, she suspected that he might be more open to her help than she once thought. She just had to play her cards right.

Rey sat on the end of her bed and stared at the mask. She had wanted to return it to him last night, but each time she left her bedroom, she had walked back in only moments later. She had no idea what she would say to him or if she would even confront him at all about the night before. It just didn't feel right to hand him his helmet and then leave without saying a single word. Yet, as Rey picked up the mask and exited her bedroom, that was exactly what she intended on doing.

Kylo's door was locked, so she rapped her knuckles on the metal a few times. It lifted open and there he was. Rey's mouth went dry. What was she going to say? She had rehearsed something, but all of a sudden, her words fled from her mind and nothing else she could think of sounded quite right.

"You forgot your mask," Rey said and held it out for him to take.

"Oh. Right. I hadn't realized." Kylo's voice lacked life. He took it from her and held it at his side.

Silence fell over them. Rey knew that she had to say something - _anything_ \- to break the tension between them.

"Hey, about yesterd-" Kylo began.

Rey cut in almost as soon as he started speaking: "Can I… Can I come in?"

He nodded too quickly. "Yes. Of course." He paused before stepping out of the doorway. Rey followed in after him and the door closed behind her with a hiss. Kylo pulled out a chair from a desk for her and sat on the end of his bed, facing her.

Again, uncomfortable silence settled over them and Rey began to regret inviting herself in. She should have left while she still had the chance. She knew that she wanted to help Ben escape from the First Order, but she had no clue how to go about convincing Kylo. Nothing was coming to her mind. What was she still doing here?

"Run away with me," Rey blurted out, shattering the silence.

Kylo only stared at her. The moments felt like hours to Rey as she waited for him to reply and instead of meeting his eyes, she focused on her legs swinging back and forth underneath her chair.

"Why would I do that?" His words sounded slow and unsteady.

"Because you deserve a better life than this."

Kylo laughed and motioned around the room. "A better life? I have everything I've ever wanted. I have armies of Stormtroopers answering to me. I have the full power of the Force behind me. There's nothing better than this." He shook his head. "Nothing."

"But you could be so much more." The words flowed out of Rey now - there was no stopping her. Whatever doubts she had before were gone. "If you stay here, you'd still just be Snoke's apprentice. Look at you; you're a grown man. Don't you think it's time for you to stop being a student and have some more freedom? Reject Snoke. Stop having to obey his every order. Learn to act a little on your own."

Kylo stood up from his bed and turned away from Rey. "Do you think I'm unhappy here? I'm perfectly fine with being Snoke's apprentice. This is who I am!"

"No it's not!" Rey rose to her feet. "I see the good that's inside of you. Snoke is manipulating you - he's _always_ been manipulating you - into believing that this path is the right one to take. It's not."

He rounded on Rey and jabbed his finger into her chest. They stood only inches apart and towered over her. "Here's how it is: before I met the Supreme Leader, I was taught to ignore the pull of the Force. My parents refused to teach me anything. They were afraid of me - of what I could become. They said it themselves; they feared that I had too much of my grandfather in me. But then Snoke opened my eyes. My grandfather wasn't an evil man but a great man. Darth Vader was the most powerful being in the entire galaxy and was more powerful than any other Sith before him. Snoke _believed_ in me. He showed me the true power of the Force and promised me that one day, I would be able to live up to my grandfather's legacy and even surpass it. My parents sensed that I was growing distant from them and so they sent me to train under Skywalker. Even though I finally got the training that I had always wanted, I knew that Skywalker wasn't telling me everything he knew. I could sense him holding me back and keeping me _ignorant_ and _subdued_." With those two words, Kylo jabbed his finger harder into Rey's chest. His face twisted up in disgust. "They still feared me, even though I had done nothing wrong. I bet that if they could, they would've locked me up in a cage."

"Your parents _loved_ you. They were there for you and never would have done anything to hurt you," Rey said, her voice a whisper.

"You don't know that. You don't know all the hatred that I had to deal with - all the hatred that came from within my _own family_. I can't believe I didn't see it before. But after Snoke opened my eyes to it, I vowed that I would never go back to them again. Darth Vader is a legend and his power runs in my blood. It's my destiny to follow in his footsteps," Kylo said.

"You're idolizing Anakin's biggest mistake."

"You know nothing about my family," Kylo said, almost hissing into her ear. "You don't understand how it is. I will not go back to that."

"Not even for me?" Rey took a small step back and as she lifted her head to look him in the eyes, her stomach twisted with displeasure. She hated that she had to manipulate him like that, but there was no other way. She needed to save Ben and she couldn't see any way to talk around Kylo's logic. "We don't have to go anywhere close to the Rebellion. We could fly to any planet we wanted. We could find a nice home in the Outer Rim and live away from the First Order and this war."

His face softened and then he dropped his gaze dropped to his feet. "I can't."

Rey's stomach sank. That had been her last hope of convincing him. "Why not?"

"If I run away, I can't hide from Snoke forever." He looked back at Rey and reached up toward her face before he seemed to think better of it and dropped his hand back down to his side. "He's ruthless, Rey. He'd send Stormtroopers to search for me. Maybe I could avoid them for a few years, maybe more, but when I least expect it, they'd find me. And then…."

"Then what?"

He shook his head.

"So we kill Snoke," Rey said.

Kylo stepped back and turned away from her. He pointed his finger towards the doorway. "I want you to leave."

"No. I'm not done talking to you."

"You're trying to tempt me over to the Light Side. I don't know how I ever trusted you enough to take you on as my apprentice. You're just like my parents; you don't know what's best for me."

"This is just like you, Kylo Ren. You always run away from your problems and you never face anything. That's what pitted you against your parents. I'd bet anything that you never confronted them about how you felt they were treating you."

"Leave. Now," Kylo said, his voice a growl.

"Fine. Have it your way." Rey walked backwards, making her way toward the exit while keeping her eyes on Kylo. She paused in the doorway. "I know the legends. You're exactly like your grandfather. He fell to the Dark Side, seeking power. Just like you, he was wrong. Vader realized what a big mistake he had made. Only once he joined forces with Luke was he able to defeat Sidious. That's how he got to be at the peak of his power. Not through the Dark Side, but through the Light. If you're so keen on following in your grandfather's footsteps, why can't you do the same?"

Rey wanted to say more, but then Kylo spoke: "I thought I told you to leave." The red blade of his lightsaber shot out from the sleeve of his cloak.

"You know, maybe if you weren't so cold all the time, I'd be falling in love with you too," Rey said. She turned around to leave, but two strong hands caught her before she could take a step and she found herself staring up into two dark brown eyes. She only had a few moments to register how close they were to each other until he pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered close and her mind focused on his lips. She loved how they brushed gently against hers and made her heart beat wildly. They were warm and soft and…

And they were Kylo's.

This was all wrong. Rey's eyes flew open and she backed away from him. Kylo's arms dropped to his side.

"What are you _doing_?" But she already knew the answer. "Oh, just nevermind," she said before he could answer and broke into a sprint down the corridor, not slowing until she got back to her bedroom. She flopped down on her bed and absentmindedly ran her fingertips over her lips. Her mind raced. What had he been thinking, just grabbing her like that? Part of her hated him for it, but the other part of her couldn't keep her mind off of how good it had felt. Kylo had kissed her. No, _Ben_ had kissed her. Right there. Just thinking about it made her stomach tingle. Why did she have to run? Why couldn't she have just stayed a few more minutes? If she could do it all over again, she would. And Rey sure hoped for that second chance.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Apprentice**

* * *

 **Chapter 8:**

A harsh buzz sounded and Rey leapt to her feet.

"Excuse me, Miss. I apologize for bothering you. My master sent me to deliver a message to you." A droid's feminine voice sounded over the intercom in her room.

"Coming," Rey shouted. With only a couple steps, she closed the distance between her and the doorway. She pressed a button on the control panel to the left of the door and lifted open. A silver humanoid droid stood in front of her. She recognized it as a 3PO-series protocol droid. "Hello?"

"Ah, yes, Miss. Thank you for opening the door. My Master wished for me to give this message to you." The droid extended its arm and handed a folded sheet of paper to Rey. It was a note - for her. Rey's eyebrows knit together. A handwritten message? Delivered by a messenger? That technique was so old-fashioned. If someone really wanted to talk to her, wouldn't they use the com-links between rooms? Or even talk to her in person? Surely either of those ways would have been much more convenient to use. It puzzled her why the writer wished to go out of his way just to send a message like this.

Her curiosity taking ahold of her, she eagerly took it, opened it up, and read over the scrawled handwriting:

 _Rey-_

 _You were right. About everything._

 _I wish I had realized it earlier._

 _If I'm not too late, I'd like to talk to you tonight._

 _I'll be in the grove on the fourth floor balcony. 10 o'clock._

 _-Ben_

Ben. _Ben_. The corners of Rey's mouth twisted and she was suddenly unable to contain her grin.

"Miss, would you like for me to send a reply back to my Master?" the droid said.

"No, that's fine," Rey said. She held up the piece of paper again. "Thank you… Thank you for bringing this. Have a good evening."

The droid bowed slightly at the waist. "I hope you have a good evening as well," it said before walking back down the corridor.

As soon as Rey shut the door, her smile got even wider. She leaned against the wall and sank to the floor, clutching the piece of paper to her chest. _Ben_. She almost couldn't believe it. He always bristled at the mention of his old name and now, was he beginning to embrace it? Something had changed within that man that finally managed to crack his hard outer shell. Rey brought her fingers up to her lips and touched them lightly. She still remembered how warms his had been against hers. Had it been…? No, it couldn't have been. One kiss wasn't enough to change a person's entire attitude. Had the words she said to him finally sank in? It sure sounded like it. She hoped more than anything that she had finally gotten through to him.

But this meeting could be nothing other than a trap. She had threatened to kill the Supreme Leader. As an official Knight of Ren, she had committed a high act of treason against the First Order, which she assumed was punishable by death. She expected for any respectable member of the First Order to uphold that.

Part of her argued that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her - if he had wanted to, he had plenty of chances to kill her before now. Back in his bedroom, when she first suggested Snoke's murder, she was unarmed. He could have easily run his lightsaber straight through her. Still, another part of her warned her to be wary of the boy.

The note could be a trap, just as it could very well not be, but in the event that Ben was truly asking for her help, she had to go. For his sake. It was a risk she was willing to take.

* * *

At a quarter to ten, the sky was still light enough to cast shadows, even though the sun had long since set over Coruscant. Ben stood in the middle of a cluster of several trees with his hands folded behind his back and faced a set of sliding double doors. On such a heavily populated planet like Coruscant, green spaces like this one were hard to come by and he treasured the small rooftop grove. During the earlier years of his training underneath Snoke, he used this place for a momentary escape when his mind raced too much. If he sat here long enough, he discovered that he could almost stop his thoughts entirely. Too many times had he felt the call back to the Light, but with Snoke's training, his connection with Darth Vader's helmet, and those secret meditation sessions, he had managed to stay on the path of the Dark Side.

Until now.

It was almost ironic that he had chosen this place to voice his betrayal of the First Order.

He glanced up at the sky. Just a few stories overhead, a line of traffic zipped between the two towers that rose up on either side of the grove. Was it ten o'clock yet? It had to be at least a few minutes past. His legs had the beginning of a slight cramp growing in them from standing in place for so long. Where was Rey? A pang of disappointment shot through him. She wasn't coming. How long would he stay out here waiting?

He tried to stifle his worry. She was going to come - she _had_ to come - he convinced himself.

The doors slid open and a silhouette walked outside. The figure stepped into a pool of city light and the shadows washed away from her face.

"Ben?" she said.

"Rey! You showed up!" Ben ran up to her, only to stop a few feet in front of her. Right then, he would have given anything to know that it was alright to sweep her off her feet and kiss her, just like he had done only hours earlier that day. But he couldn't. He was certain that it would only make her run off like had done before. Hell, it was even a miracle that she was here. It was a miracle that she had agreed to meet him alone in the grove, late at night, right after he had just about forced himself on to her.

"Yeah. Of course I did."

Ben looked down at his hands. "I… I was beginning to think that you wouldn't show."

"You've changed," she whispered to herself so quietly that Ben barely registered what she said. "Am I late?"

He shrugged. He had thought she had been, but he really had no way to confirm that. "After what I did, I thought-"

Rey took a step closer to him. "The kiss?"

Ben gulped. God, he regretted that. "Will you forgive me?"

"Forgive you for what?" Rey continued to walk towards him.

"I shouldn't have. It was wrong of me. I was confused. I don't know what I was thinking. I should have just…" Rey placed her hand on his arm, cutting him off, and Ben looked down at it.

"You're _fine_." She put space between the words. "I…" She looked down and her hand fell down to her side. "I regret running off."

Ben's stomach did a little flip. She regretted running off? So had she actually liked the kiss? "No, it's my fault. It was too sudden and - and I must have taken you by surprise."

"Yeah you did," Rey laughed a little. "But back there, when I told you that I could like you if you weren't so cold all the time, I really meant it."

Ben didn't know what to say, so he did the next most logical thing and reached for her hand. He lightly closed his fingers around hers.

She met his gaze. "But, Ben, I can sense you changing," she whispered and gave his hand a light squeeze. "I can see that underneath all your anger and bitterness, you can be a sweet guy. You have a good heart, Ben Solo."

Ben felt his heartbeat in his chest as he closed the space between them and grabbed Rey's chin between his thumb and index finger. He tilted it upwards and bent down, turning his head to the side. His eyes closed before his lips met hers. Just as he remembered, she tasted sweet and familiar. He moved his free hand to rest on her back and her fingers snaked to the back of his head where she wrapped them in his hair.

He had never been happier to have left his mask off.

"Is there something wrong?" Ben said as he felt Rey gently pull away from him.

Rey shook her head, her hands still entangled in his dark brown hair. "No, just," she let her hands fall back to her side, "this isn't why you asked me to come. Right? You were going to tell me something - about why you signed the note as Ben?"

Ben nodded over to a bench near the base of one tree. "How about we sit down?" With his hand still resting on Rey's back, he guided her over to it. The tree's thick foliage shielded them from the light of the city and cast shadows over their faces, plunging them into relative darkness. They sat side by side in silence as Ben fidgeted with the fabric of his cloak, trying to find the right words.

"You said that I run away from my problems," Ben said, his words slow at first, "No one else has ever been more right about me. That's why it took me so long to realize that I wasn't satisfied with being Kylo Ren. I was so scared to admit that I had made the wrong decision - to admit that I had bottled up all of those regrets inside of me. I didn't even want to consider that I had chosen the wrong path. I regret leaving my family. I regret…" Ben went silent for a moment, "I regret killing my father. I regret joining Snoke.

"You were right; he manipulated me. The only reason that I even joined the Dark Side was that I fell for Snoke in a moment of weakness. I felt like my family had abandoned me - that they hated me. The first time that Snoke came to me, he seemed like the father figure I needed in my life. He offered to take me under his wing and teach me everything that he knew. I thought that all I needed was power, but it was really compassion that I had been looking for. And I _cannot_ get that here with Snoke." Ben let out a strangled laugh. "I know that this probably doesn't make sense. My mind is kind of a mess right now, but…"

Rey placed her hand on his knee. "It's fine. I understand. It's hard to sort through your thoughts."

"What I'm trying to say is that this life isn't for me" - A smile spread out across Ben's face - "and we're going to have to train much harder from now on."

Rey furrowed her eyebrows. "Train? Why would we want to stay here and train?"

"We'll have to get stronger if we ever want to beat Snoke."

She searched Ben's eyes as if she was looking for some trace of deception. Even though he knew that there was never a chance that he would ever deceive her, he wanted to shrink under her scrutinous gaze.

"You're really serious," she said. Her face remained stoic for a few seconds but then she laughed and smiled. "You're really serious," she repeated as if she was trying to convince herself of it. Rey reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Happiness surged through him. This is what he had been looking for all along. Here was a place where he belonged and here was the compassion that he had been missing for all this time.


End file.
